Dual purpose cabinet

ABSTRACT

A cabinet having conventional storage areas laterally disposed from a central open area in the cabinet for the storage of firearms or other valuable articles of unusual size. A panel structure is rotatable about a vertical axis to close the cabinet opening and when so located simulates stationary cabinet structure. Horizontal extensions on the backside of the panel support stored items which upon panel rotation are readily accessible. The disposition and configuration of opposing edges of the panel and stationary structure conceal lines of demarcation therebetween to render the cabinet of normal appearance.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,848,940 Bel-ens Nov. 19, 1974 DUAL PURPOSE CABINET 3,762,789 10/1973 Robertson 211/64 [76] Inventor: Darrell E. Berens, 649 Chambers St., Eugene, Oreg. 97402 jrimary j jg g g g J ttorney, gent, r lrm ames lvnan, r. [22] Flledz Apr. 18, 1973 1 A cabinet having conventional-storage areas laterally [52] U.S. Cl 312/135, 211/64, 331124129779, disposed from a central open area in the cabinet for 51 I t Cl A47 g the storage of firearms or other valuable articles of uni 125 usual size. A panel structure is rotatable about a verti- "6 204 cal axis to close the cabinet opening and when so 10- cated simulates stationary cabinet structure. Horizontal extensions on the backside of the panel support stored items which upon panel rotation are readily ac- [56] References cued cessible. The disposition and configuration of oppos- UNITED STATES PATENTS I ing edges of the panel and stationary structure conceal 492,304 2/1893 Markle 211/ lines of demarcation therebetween to render the cabi- 2,185,935 l/1940 Turner 312/ net of normal a earance. 2,693,989 11/1954 Santana et al. 312/ pp 2,882,114 4/1959 Sease er a1. 312 279 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures {a I i 22 i" /0 /7 1 252} /7 3 1 I L H U [I I H I 1 g 2. I a 1 25 2,7 5 I f 1 I I? I i j 1 L T l v 24. r I I U I l I F S m 1 'G v /2. /3 1 r v i r J/ l E E I r .l I 41: i M E W I m 1 DUAL PURPOSE CABINET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Well known in the art are storage cabinets for the storage of firearms which cabinets normally are of distinctive appearance suitable only for certain rooms of a home, den or game room for example. Further, gun cabinets, as presently known, expose to view the stored firearms to undesirably attract young children and oth- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present cabinet embodying the present invention provides a highly attractive cabinet whose outer appearance gives no indication of the stored firearms therein thus making it an appropriate and attractive addition to most any room ofthe home while safely concealing the stored articles from view.

An important object of the present cabinet is the provision of a rotatable panel which in one position contributes towards the attractive appearance of a cabinet while a rotated panel position presents ready access to the valuable stored articles. The lines of demarcation between the panel edges and stationary cabinet structure are concealed in anovel manner so as to be discernible only upon very close inspection of the cabinet.

' A further object of the present cabinet is to provide a rotatable panel extending substantially the height of the cabinet and having an irregular forward surface to match corresponding stationary portions of the cabinets front. A rearwardly offset upper panel member is coplanar with like stationary structure while a lower panel member is forwardly offset and coplanar with a lower position of the stationary cabinet structure. The

lateral edges ofthe rotatable panel structure are configured so as to be positionable into juxtaposition with opening defining edges of the stationary structure with certain of said edges being formed obliquely for purposes of allowing close proximity of opposing edges. Further, to assure concealment of opposing edges such are formed rearwardly adjacent irregular cabinet trim surfaces.

These and other objects will become readily apparent in the following description of the cabinet embodying the present invention. |1-

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a front elevational-view of the present cabinet,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 wherein a rotatable panel has been rotated through 180,

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken downwardly along line 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view with fragments broken away disclosing panel edges,

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the cabinet and rotatable panel sectioned with the panel turned through from its FIG. 1 position, and

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectioned view taken downwardly along line 6-6 of FIG. 4 showing details of panel edge disposition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification. the reference numeral 10 indicates generally the cabinet embodying the present invention. As viewed in FIG. 1, the cabinet may have a more or less conventional appearance with the specific drawer and door arrangement disclosed being unimportant to the invention. Further, the furniture style of the cabinet may be varied within the scope of the invention to permit a cabinet compatible with any particular furniture style or room decor.

Stationary portions of thepresent cabinet may include lower front wall portions 11 which may include series of drawers 12 supported in the conventional matter between side walls at 13 and interior partitions l4. Upright trim at 15 along with partitions l4 partially define a central cabinet open area A. A stationary upper portion of the cabinet embodies a pair of storage areas intermediate partitions at 17 and side walls 13 which areas are closed by doors 16. The frontal surface of the upper wall portion of the cabinet is set back slightly from the lower wall portion for appearance sake. A cabinet base 18 is supported in an elevated manner by legs 20 which may be of artistic configuration. A top wall structure 21 closes off the upper front portion of the cabinet above doors l6 and along with trim at 22 partially defines the cabinet open area A. A back wall 19 fully closes the rear of the cabinet. Further details of stationary cabinet construction may be dispensed with as such details are believed obvious to one skilled in the field of cabinetry.

A rotatable upright panel structure of elongate configuration is indicated generally at 23 and comprises lower and upper panel members 24, 25 normally closing off the open area A in the cabinet front as shown in FIG. 1. Both of said panel members are provided with molding or trim at 24A and 25A which closely resembles the trim of drawers l2 and doors 16. Accordingly, the rotatable panel structure 23, to an ordinary viewer, would appear to be a series of drawers with an upper portion appearing to be a pair of doors of somewhat larger size than the conventional doors 16.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, a shelf-like member 26 provides a break or irregular configuration to panel 23 with stationary shelf-like counterparts 27 normally in alignment with member 26 and contributing to the simulation of a conventional cabinet having an attractive appearance.

Rotatably supporting panel 23 is an upright shaft 28 journalled at its ends within cabinet mounted bearings 29 and 30. Spaced along shaft 28 are collars 31 flanged at 31A for the support of horizontal extensions 32-34 which in turn carry panel 23; The flanges 31A associated with the extensions are concealed by wooden discs 35 while the upper ends of collar 31 are concealed by smaller discs 36, 37 Each collar 31 is provided with a set screw not shown for securement to shaft 28. In the embodiment shown, horizontal extension 32 is provided with sockets 38 for reception of a firearm butt while the middle extension 33 is provided with circumferentially spaced recesses 33A to receive the firearm barrel. Braces at 40 assure the rigidity of panel 23 and its supporting structure.

With particular attention to FIGS. 4 through 6, the vertical edges of lower panel member 24 are indicated at 41 and which are formed obliquely or on a radius from the axis of shaft 28 to permit sweeping rotational movement past the stationary edge 42 of an upright stationary member of the cabinet. importantly, the line of demarcation between edges 41 and 42 is obscure with trim at 15 and 24A further concealing the edges.

. rotated to the closed position.

With attention to the shelf-like member 26 separating panel members 24 and 25, said member (as best viewed in FIG. 4) terminates endwise in a radiused edge 26A for arcuate sweeping passage relative to a stationary edge 50 of the shelf-like members 27.

While I have shown but one embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured under a Letters Patent is:

l. A cabinet for the storage of valuable household items permitting display or concealment of the stored 4 items, said cabinet comprising,

stationary cabinet structure defining a central open area extending substantially the height of the cabinet, said structure having'decorative trim disposed upon the cabinet front adjacentsaid open area,

an upright panel structure of elongate configuration normally closing said open area of the cabinet, said panel having exterior trim'similar to the trim on the stationary cabinet structure simulating a cabinet of substantially conventional appearance, horizontal extensions projecting rearwardly from the rear ward side of said rotatable panel into the cabinet open area for the upright storage thereon of elongate articles, shaft means mounting said panel for rotational movement about a vertical axis rearwardly offset from the cabinet front, and

said rotatable panel in its normal position having vertically extending edges in opposing relationship to corresponding edges formed on the stationary members of the cabinet, at least some of the panel edges being oblique allowing close disposition of the panel edges to a corresponding stationary edge of the cabinet while permitting arcuate travel therepast during panel rotation whereby lines of demarcation between the panel and stationary cabinet structure are substantially concealed.

2. The cabinet claimed in claim 1 wherein said stationary cabinet structure includes an irregular frontal surface having stationary shelf-like members thereon laterally off-set from said panel, said panel also having an irregular frontal surface and a shelf-like member positionable upon panel rotation into alignment with the stationary shelf-like members whereby upper and lower portions of the stationary cabinet structure and the corresponding upper and lower panel members are substantially coplanar with one another when the panel is in a closed position to further simulate conventional cabinet structure, said shelf-like members having opposing oblique edges formed on a radius to permit their close proximity and relative sweeping motion during panel rotation. 

1. A cabinet for the storage of valuable household items permitting display or concealment of the stored items, said cabinet comprising, stationary cabinet structure defining a central open area extending substantially the height of the cabinet, said structure having decorative trim disposed upon the cabinet front adjacent said open area, an upright panel structure of elongate configuration normally closing said open area of the cabinet, said panel having exterior trim similar to the trim on the stationary cabinet structure simulating a cabinet of substantially conventional appearance, horizontal extensions projecting rearwardly from the rearward side of said rotatable panel into the cabinet open area for the upright storage thereon of elongate articles, shaft means mounting said panel for rotational movement about a vertical axis rearwardly offset from the cabinet front, and said rotatable panel in its normal position having vertically extending edges in opposing relationship to corresponding edges formed on the stationary members of the cabinet, at least some of the panel edges being oblique allowing close disposition of the panel edges to a corresponding stationary edge of the cabinet while permitting arcuate travel therepast during panel rotation whereby lines of demarcation between the panel and stationary cabinet structure are substantially concealed.
 2. The cabinet claimed in claim 1 wherein said stationary cabinet structure includes an irregular frontal surface having stationary shelf-like members thereon laterally off-set from said panel, said panel also having an irregular frontal surface and a shelf-like member positionable upon panel rotation into alignment with the stationary shelf-like members whereby upper and lower portions of the stationary cabinet structure and the corresponding upper and lower panel members are substantially coplanar with one another when the panel is in a closed position to further simulate conventional cabinet structure, said shelf-like members having opposing oblique edges formed on a radius to permit their close proximity and relative sweeping motion during panel rotation. 